Spreading awareness about environment - Fusion - WeRIndia

Meet this 77-year old retired engineer who is on a quest to protect environment. As people celebrate festivals, he is worried about the waste that comes from the celebrations. N.S. Ramakanth wants to make sure that people celebrate festivals more responsibly and that they do not cause pollution.

For several years he has been fighting for a cleaner Bengaluru. Recently, he performed a successful cleanliness drive after the Ganesha festival. He quit his job as a chief engineer in a German company. After that he returned to Bengaluru in 1989 when his mother fell sick. He was shocked at the conditions of the city. Its pollution and filthy environment made him realize the lack of awareness in the city.

Once he saw this, he decided not to take another job but to create awareness about waste management in the city. He is now 77 year old but his spirit is still young. Even today, he is chasing after municipal corporation officials of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) asking them to clean up the filthy lakes in city.

He even goes after bureaucrats urging them to solve garbage problems. He encourages people to be more involved with social issues and environmental protection. He also encourages volunteers who are conducting cleanliness drives.

During the Ganesh festival, Ramakanth has successfully run a campaign about minimizing waste at Sankey Tank. He also organized eco-friendly Ganesh idol making workshops for the public. Mud idols were not available in larger sizes but people wanted bigger idols. In order to solve this issue, he helped citizens make customized mud idols which were five to six feet tall. He says that providing solutions is how people welcome change. Ramakanth helped clean out Sankey Tank where many Ganesh idols were immersed. He cleaned the tank within a week.

Image Reference: TheBetterIndia